The present invention generally relates to computer data entry and more particularly to a keyboardless method of computer entry using electric contacts positioned on a user's fingers and thumbs.
A common method for entering information into a computer is via a keyboard, such as a 101-key type keyboard. These keyboards tend to be fairly large and relatively heavy, and thus are typically placed on a support surface, such as a desk or table.
The size and weight of typical keyboards, such as those used with a desktop computer, make them poor candidates for use with mobile computing devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) or pocket personal computers (PCs) which can be about the size of a cigarette box yet provide computational resources comparable to those of desktop computers. Such mobile computing devices typically include a miniature keyboard, for example a miniature keyboard that may be worn on the user's wrist or an image of a keyboard that is displayed on the screen that requires the user to press the keys with a stylus or using an attached device that requires the user to input data using his thumbs. Such data entry is difficult and error prone and does not allow the user to enter data at a sufficient speed. Other devices for data input for mobile devices, such as pocket PCs, include chording devices (such as a keypad that requires the user to press different key combinations to generate the various characters found on a standard keyboard) or the use of microphones in combination with voice recognition software. The former input devices typically do not meet the data input rates desired by the users of mobile computing devices (particularly pocket PCs) or they require the user to learn a chording/coding language particular to the specific design. On the other hand, privacy concerns limit the use of voice recognition devices; for example, input of confidential or sensitive data via voice recognition devices is not feasible in conferences, in meetings, or in crowded or noisy public places, such as bus stops or airports.
As keyboard size is shrunk in order to increase portability, so does the speed at which information can be entered into the computing device. Thus, there is a need for a device that allows the user of a mobile computing device to enter information into the mobile computing device at a relatively fast speed without using a full-size or miniaturized keyboard.
There are several devices and methods of using such devices that solve the problem of data entry without requiring the use of a traditional full-size or miniaturized keyboard. One method is a folding keyboard. While more compact than a traditional full-size keyboard, particularly in the folded state during transport, a folding keyboard is still relatively large in the unfolded stage and requires approximately the same size support surface as that required for a traditional full-size keyboard. Another device is a keyboard employing a reduced number of full size keys, for example, a one-handed keyboard or half-keyboard, such as the ones disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,158 entitled ONE-HANDED KEYBOARD and U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,594 entitled KEYBOARD FOR TOUCH TYPING USING ONLY ONE HAND. These keyboards use one half of a traditional keyboard whereby now a single key represents two characters. A specified key sequence, such as holding down the space bar while “typing” toggles between the two sets of characters. For example, the character “F” may be located at the position where the user's index finger is placed onto the half-keyboard (assuming the hand being used is the left hand). That same position key would represent the character “J” (which is normally pressed by the user's right index finger) when the half-keyboard is toggled. Even though half-keyboards are significantly smaller than traditional keyboards, half-keyboards still require a support surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,846 entitled BODY WEARABLE KEYBOARD solves the problem of requiring a support surface by providing a full size keyboard that has key clusters that can be moved or rotated so that the keyboard can be used in a conventional manner on a support surface or worn on the body. This device resolves the need for a support surface. However, many users may not wish to carry around a keyboard that is relatively heavy and bulky compared to the mobile computing device. Thus, it is desirable to have a device for entering information (e.g., alpha-numeric text) into a computer, for example, a mobile computer, such as a pocket PC, without the use of a keyboard.
There are several devices and methods of using such devices that solve the problem of data entry without requiring a keyboard. Many of these devices use finger or hand mounted sensors in order to generate the signals that would normally be generated by pressing a key on the keyboard. Electric contacts may, for example, be attached to gloves or mittens that are worn on a user's hands.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,484 entitled FINGER MOUNTED COMPUTER INPUT DEVICE discloses a glove having pressure sensors which are worn on a user's fingers. Generally speaking, U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,484 discloses a device that senses finger positioning with respect to a solid surface, the latter being treated as a standard keyboard. The user uses traditional touch-typing skills on any flat surface. Based on the characteristic finger positions when typing a character on a standard keyboard, the device is able to use the hand mounted sensors to interpret finger position with respect to the solid surface as the same character that the user would have typed if the solid surface were a keyboard. Devices such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,484 have the advantage that they are easy to use since they mimic touch-typing skills. However, even though devices such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,484 do not require a surface for supporting a keyboard, they do require a surface for the user to type on as if the user were typing on a keyboard. An additional disadvantage of devices such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,484 is that they are subject to inadvertent, erroneous input. For example, if a user scratches his nose, the device will detect pressure and will generate spurious characters. Thus, corrections must be made or the device must be turned off if the user makes any non-typing movements with his hands.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,304,840 entitled FINGERLESS GLOVE FOR INTERACTING WITH DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM discloses a fingerless glove that is similar to the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,484. While this device does overcome some of the disadvantages associated with the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,484, such as erroneous input due to user movements, the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,304,840 does require a surface for the user to type on as if the user were typing on a keyboard.
Thus, there is a need for a method of entry information into a mobile computing device without a keyboard and without requiring a support surface for entering the information. This need is addressed in the paper The Chording Glove: A Glove-Based Text Input Device by Robert Rosenberg and Mel Slater which discloses a glove having contacts at various positions on a user's fingers and thumbs. The device is similar to a chording device/keyboard. Instead of pressing a single key, various combinations of contacts are pressed simultaneously in order to generate the signal that would be generated by pressing an individual key on a standard keyboard. The various signals are generated by simultaneously contacting from 2-5 contacts. Although chording gloves like other handheld chording devices overcome the problem of requiring a support surface, use of such systems require substantial training as the user has to essentially learn a new coding language.
The paper Thumbcode: A Device-Independent Digital Sign Language by Vaughan R. Pratt discloses a system for entering information into a computing device using contact on the fingers and thumbs. The thumb contact on one of the user's hands is closed with a contact on one of the fingers. Additionally, the user must either place fingers in contact with each other or space them apart in order to determine the intended character. As with chording, thumbcoding requires a user to essentially learn a new coding language in order to enter data into the computing device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,374 titled WRIST-PENDENT WIRELESS OPTICAL KEYBOARD discloses a method in which signal input is achieved via finger motion over an optical reflectance matrix generated above the palms of the user's hands. In principle, this system can be used to achieve data input via touch typing without keyboard. However, generation of the optical matrix and detection of finger position in this matrix is fairly complicated. Furthermore, the system has to be calibrated (possibly in real time) for specific ambient conditions, such as strong ambient illumination or electromagnetic interference. In fact, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,374, the use of keypads fixed to the wrist of the user and located below the palms of the user is suggested or considered necessary for certain applications. The lack of tactile feedback (providing confirmation of data input to the user analogous to touch-typing on a keyboard) may result in lower data input rates. Furthermore, the use of an optical reflection matrix, such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,374, to detect signal input by predicting finger position with respect to the optical matrix below the user's hands does not allow for free finger motion without the risk of data input. Rather, the user has to hold the hands and fingers in a more-or-less stretched out position in order to omit interference with the optical matrix.
The devices described above are too large, are user unfriendly in an ergonomic sense, do not allow users to enter information at sufficient speeds, require a support surface, require the user to learn a new coding language, or some combination thereof. Most user's when confronted with having to learn an entirely new coding language in order to enter information into a computing device will likely opt not to use such a device. Thus, to achieve truly portable computing capabilities (e.g., using a pocket PC with an attached eye-glass display while walking or standing at a bus stop), there is a need for a keyboardless input device that is easy and comfortable to use, that allows for relatively fast data entry speeds, and that does not require significant training time. The device should be simple in its technical design and inexpensive.